Report to Society 2024

Environmental

Renewable energies and business operations

Savings banks increasingly focussing on green electricity

The energy requirements of many German companies are increasing. Increasing digitalisation in particular means that more and more electricity is being consumed. This is no different for the savings banks and their association partners. In addition, the savings banks want to make their business operations climate-neutral with their voluntary commitment to climate-friendly and sustainable business practices. It is understandable that the growing demand for energy is increasingly being met from renewable sources.

One example of the strategic importance of renewable energies for companies within the Savings Bank Finance Group is a photovoltaic system in Kleinschirma, Saxony. The 54-megawatt solar park went into operation at the beginning of September 2024. Deutsche Anlagen-Leasing (DAL), a company belonging to the Savings Bank Finance Group, is also involved in the company operating the plant.

DAL supports its clients in the realisation of large-volume, asset-based investment projects. As a centre of competence for the savings banks, it structures and arranges the financing of transformation projects in the fields of real estate, transport. In recent years, the proportion of renewable energy projects has risen continuously. One focus is on project financing for wind and solar parks.

In Kleinschirma, DAL itself became a co-investor in a solar park for the first time – an important milestone in the corporate strategy and proof of the Group’s new self-image. This means that DAL will become a partial electricity producer itself – and a supplier of green electricity for savings banks and other companies in the Savings Bank Finance Group.

13.8%
marks a new record for the share of solar power in domestic electricity production in 2024

Green electricity with a guarantee of origin

DAL offers the electricity via so-called “Financial Power Purchase Agreements” (PPA). These are long-term electricity supply contracts in which an agreed quantity of electricity is supplied virtually at a fixed price. The electricity comes with a green electricity certificate of origin from Germany. The first customer for the electricity from Kleinschirma is Finanz Informatik (FI), the central digitalisation partner and IT service provider of the Savings Bank Finance Group.

FI operates one of the largest data centre networks for financial services in Europe, spread across several locations. Their clients include not only the savings banks, but also the regional banks, regional building societies, DekaBank and public insurers. They also benefit from the contract with DAL, as they can rely on the fact that 100 per cent of the electricity used by FI to power their IT services is generated from renewable energies. The electricity from Kleinschirma is an important component in Finanz Informatik’s green electricity mix.

Also a new savings bank solar park in Trier

DAL is not the only company in the financial group that is involved in the field of solar energy. Projects such as the solar park in Kleinschirma are becoming increasingly important. They show how the expansion of renewable energies creates new structures and increases the synergies of existing networks.

For example, savings bank Trier, together with Stadtwerke Trier, has put the largest solar park in the city into operation. The plant can generate green electricity for more than 1.800 households per year and will cover 70 per cent of the savings bank’s total electricity requirements in future. With these and similar solar park projects, the savings banks throughout Germany are driving forward the energy transition.